Adam Van Bendler will present in New York and New Jersey excerpts from his new show “Necessary Evil”, which can only be seen live.
The topics I raise reach both 16-year-old youth and 50- or 60-year-old parents and even grandparents. The most important thing is not to be offended, but to have fun, because generally speaking, it’s just a joke – says Adam Van Bendler, a stand-up artist whose performances will be shown on September 10 at CP-S in Brooklyn, NY, at 7 p.m. 3:00 p.m. and on the same day at Cracovia Manor in Wallington, NJ, at 7:00 pm.
After reviewing your information, I have to admit, I was surprised by your versatility. You are a comedian, actor, writer, director and producer of web sketches and music videos, whose reach already counts in the tens of millions. You founded the Psia Krew foundation for animals, you rapped a bit, and you’re 6th on the stand-up list. Where do you get the time for all this?
Oh that’s right, now there’s not much time left for me (laughs). The adventure with rap ended as quickly as it began. I had a strong urge to do a musical sketch or some short stories with background music. I wanted it to be comedic. For one sketch, we were even nominated for the Acting Creation of the Year award at the Yach Film Festival of Polish Music Videos in 2014. I got fed up with three projects and stopped because I wanted to try other things and new forms of comedy.
How did your stand-up adventure start? Were you the person in school who gathered around you a group of listeners ready to listen to a new story?
I was a guy from the last bench, with whom it was either funny or others’ ears withered. I always had a sharp tongue and a ready retort. In general, for as long as I can remember, I’ve had a twisted imagination and always said whatever came to my mind.
Have you had problems with it?
Just like in life. If someone likes what you say, it’s funny, and if it doesn’t, it’s different.
Where do you get ideas for sketches from? Is it your life or your lush and twisted imagination?
I get a little bit of everything. I will observe a situation, something will spontaneously arise in my head, a little imagination, and a sketch or story is ready. Sometimes I’ll take an old idea from years ago that I just have an inspiration for and I want to do something with it. Sometimes, even under the influence of anxiety, something will be born. Also, when I’m having a bad day, I try to turn some thoughts into a joke. And it’s also a theutic way to generate interesting punchlines.
I watched your last show Placebo. You talk a lot about depression in it. It is a disease that affects many people. Will you be doing this show in New York and New Jersey?
No, with Placebo, no. In the States, I will play excerpts from the new show “Necessary Evil”, which can only be seen live, but there will also be a few more psychological topics, i.e. undermining true masculinity, about plastic surgery – a hardcore topic all over the world. There will also be a lot about human nature, a bit political. I think this pill I’ve prepared will be very interesting.
Now that we’re on the show you’ve prepared for us, are there any topics you’d never bring up? Or is there a taboo topic for you?
It seems to me that I have already touched on all the most difficult topics for myself. And I myself am curious what else life will bring. I want my threads to be as interesting as possible and address social issues. There is always something new and that is something that excites me and motivates me to do new work.
When preparing a program, are you developing it for a specific audience? I mean the audience in Poland, Europe or America. Does she differ from each other?
Absolutely yes. I would not only distinguish the audience into Polish and foreign, but rather the place of the performance. There’s a different energy when you’re performing in a theater than when you’re performing in a pub where alcohol is available. Each of these evenings is different and you have to take into account that the more alcohol you drink, the more likely you are to meet a difficult viewer. Such a “hater” who wants to draw some attention to himself, and also wants to cut the comedian down a bit. Under the influence of alcohol, all brakes are released. Then there’s a little more fighting with the crowd. I believe that we have a great audience both in Poland and abroad. But you always have to take into account that there will be a percentage of people who will come drunk and make it difficult for the comedian to perform. What’s more, more aware viewers of stand-up know that it is worth participating in it and rewarding the performer with a smile, laughter and applause. Sometimes, when there is a more serious topic, it gets quieter in the room. But it is not worth speaking to the uninvited.
Stand-up is characterized by a specific language. When writing a sketch, do you include profanity in the text, or do they come out ad hoc during the performance?
This is a very interesting question. I try to swear as little as possible. I often use profanity in quotes, playing a scene with a character. Profanity is an addition, not a punch line. But a live performance is different from a recorded one with a view to its later publication on YouTube or another platform. Often, these performances are a bit more challenging and stressful, and comedians often throw in extra profanity.
What age group do you address your stand-up in New York and New Jersey to? Can families with 15-16 year olds go to your show?
I think so. The topics I raise reach both 16-year-old youth and 50- or 60-year-old parents and even grandparents. With so many social problems that we currently have, I have a say in every area. There will be political snaps in the nose. The most important thing is not to get offended, just have fun and come out relaxed, because it’s basically just a joke.
Watching your performances and sketches I must say that you are like wine. The years add flavor and sophistication to you. It is not without reason that you are in 6th place on the stand-up ranking list in Poland.
As for my experience, I’ve been on stage for 10 years. I try to make my stand-up show not shouted or plowed with profanity, and not to get too emotional, as it was before. In retrospect, I know I’ve learned a lot, but I don’t think I’m better or worse than other comedians now. Everyone has their own way. And I am very happy that during the pandemic I had the opportunity to find a great therapist. The therapy I underwent has had a very positive effect on me. It contributed not only to the creation of the “Placebo” program, but also to my understanding of myself as a human being and my functioning much better on all levels of life.
When talking to you about you, it is necessary to mention the action to help animals, including those from Ukraine. You imported 25 of them, I believe, and you adopted Rambo the greyhound yourself. You also founded the Psia Krew Foundation.
I founded the Psia Krew Foundation in 2018. I was at a stage in my life where I felt that my career was going in the right direction, I calmed down as a person. I really wanted to fulfill my dreams. Before I went abroad, I dreamed as a young man to work with animals. I also loved stand-up very much, both as a spectator and as a fledgling artist. After returning from Norway, when things were starting to go in the right direction, I thought that I would like to leave something more than stories about sex or arguments with my father. I decided that I could use the popularity to help animals or people, which means that you can do something good. I was strongly inspired by Jakub Błaszczykowski (a Polish footballer, sports and social activist – editorial note). Once I had the opportunity to play in his charity football tournament at the hall in Częstochowa. It inspired me so much that I decided to do something for others as well. And so the Psia Krew Foundation was created. Then we started organizing comedians versus rappers charity matches. Thanks to the collected funds, we managed to help some really nice shelters for homeless dogs and cats all over Poland. And in 2020, an idea came up to create the Animal Helper application, whose originator is my friend Paweł Gebert. It will be the first 112 telephone number for animals in Poland. There was some turbulence along the way, but it turns out that in such a large project it is rather normal. We are now in the recruitment phase for our Animal Helper call center. We already have a renovated office that will serve as a call center. The application is almost finished and enriched with very cool modules. I can’t wait for us to launch. For the first few weeks, we will operate in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and then we want to expand to other provinces.
Ludwika Zajkowska spoke
Editor’s note: for people who want to support the foundation Dog Blood provide a foreign transfer account: BIC (SWIFT) code of the bank: INGBPLPW, IBAN number: PL 61 1050 1764 1000 0090 8041 2621
PHOTO: ARCH. ADAM VAN BENDLER
Adam Van Bendler: “I try to keep my stand-up show not shouted down or plowed with profanity”